Mar 10, 2009 23:18
I tend to believe that people think they're doing the right thing. At the very least, I like to presume that people don't think they're doing the wrong thing. I don't assume this is completely universal; I don't assume that everyone is intelligent, nice, or correct; I don't even assume that everyone is moral. I just operate under the assumption that people aren't consciously deciding to go against whatever conception of right or wrong they may possess. I'm now doubting myself. I have seen some actions taken recently that were not only so wrong that they couldn't be seen as right by someone with a conscience, but so wrong that they couldn't be originated by someone without one. These are things that are not just immoral but anti-moral; so wrong that they could only be thought of by someone who knew what right was. I've never pretended that my assumption applied to everyone in the world, but it's still genuinely distressing to see people so completely choosing to do the opposite of what they know is right.
reflections